The Nurse Who Loves Me
by kisukebenihime
Summary: AU. *MadaSaku* It was a simple question: “Daddy, how did you meet mommy?” One-shot!


The Nurse Who Loves Me

(**A/N**: This fic was inspired by the song "The Nurse Who loved Me" by A Perfect Circle. Even though the song is about the singers experience on a morphine high while in rehab. (I know it's weird but it's still a really good song) I hope you enjoy the story. I want to send a big thank you to TheRoseandtheDagger; thanks for the help on this one, I needed it!)

**Summary**: AU. *MadaSaku* It was a simple question: "Daddy, how did you meet mommy?" One-shot!

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Naruto… would I really be sitting here, hm?

~xxx~

The small family sat at the dinner table, enjoying the summer evening of board games and lemonade when the five year old tapped his father's shoulder. Madara turned his head, onyx eyes peering through long, raven colored bangs at his young son. The boy's face was scrunched up, as if thinking about something, eyes were narrowed slightly and his lips were pushed forward in the tell-tale sign of a pout.

"Is something the matter, Mamoru?" Madara asked, watching the carefully masked curiosity in the boy's eyes flicker then fade. Standing a whole two-foot-nothing, the raven-haired, onyx-eyed boy crossed his arms.

"Daddy, how did you meet mommy?" the young Uchiha questioned, lifting one eyebrow as his mother chocked on her lemonade. Madara didn't know what to think as he stared at his son, who was quite serious about his question.

"What brought this on?" the older Uchiha asked as he picked up Mamoru and set him on his lap. The boy looked confused for a moment before answering.

"Ino-obasan read me a story before naptime. It was about a prince and a servant girl… I forgot the rest of it - I want to know how you met mommy." Mamoru's pleading eyes locked onto his father's amused ones and for a moment, all Madara could do was smile.

"You might as well tell him, he's going to hear about it again anyways." Sakura sighed with a tiny smile, still dressed in her scrubs. She reached across the small table and brushed back Mamoru's bangs with gentle fingers. Mamoru smiled as her fingers tickled his neck slightly, batting her hand away as he giggled. "I'll go get some ice cream for this story." She said and stood up, giving both of them a soft kiss before retreating into the kitchen. Madara waited for her return before he focused on the five year old on his lap.

"Well, it started seven years ago…"

~xxx~

Shisui shook his head, unable to believe his ears as he pulled to a stop at the red light. Four men piled into his little car staring at one man in particular; Sasuke. Itachi, sitting in the front seat, turned to look at his younger brother with a raised brow.

"You mean to say… you have never been with a woman?" he asked, amusement evident in his voice. Madara sighed, this was just too stupid to comment on.

"Woman, no… girl my age, yes." Sasuke answered as he crossed his arms and smirked in triumph. Shisui pressed on the gas petal when the light turned green, speeding down the road to get to the family dinner they were late for.

"And, pray tell, who is this girl you've been with?" Shisui asked, glancing in the rearview mirror to look at his younger cousin while his older cousin rolled his eyes.

"Haruno Sakura." Came Sasuke's reply. The car came to a screeching halt as Shisui stomped on the breaks and shoved the gears into 'park'. Turning slowly, Shisui glared at Sasuke.

"Care to repeat that? I thought I just heard you say Sakura." He hissed. Everyone knew that Shisui had a thing for the pink-haired nurse-in-training. As far as Shisui was concerned, Sakura was off limits to everyone except himself from the moment he met the, now eighteen, girl. And that was four years ago.

"I will not repeat myself." Sasuke said as he glared back.

"You little…" Shisui growled and proceeded to step out of the car, ripping Sasuke's door open before pulling the teen out. He shook Sasuke as he screamed at him for 'deflowering his precious blossom.' Itachi and Madara flew out of the car, trying to quell the fighting before someone got hurt. Shisui swung a mighty punch and missed his intended target. The blow landed on Madara's jaw, forcing the older Uchiha to his knees.

"What the hell, Shisui?" Madara seethed as he stood and wiped the blood from his lips. "He got to her first, so what? Did you ever fucking think she may not be interested in you, you sick fucking pedophile?!" with that, Madara pushed Shisui farther into the street. The sudden screeching of brakes, a loud wham of what was irrevocably a body meeting metal and the crunch of glass filled the night air as in the flash of an eye Shisui was hit and thrown up and over an oncoming car. Laying sprawled on the asphalt, Shisui groaned as blood seeped from an open wound in his head. Madara stared in shock while Sasuke and Itachi ran to their fallen kin.

Madara lost all feeling in his legs and they gave way. Falling back against a streetlamp, he slid down with his arms propped up on his knees. Within a matter of what seemed to be only seconds an ambulance came roaring down the road. A bloody and battered Uchiha Shisui was quickly loaded into it and taken to the nearest hospital as the cops questioned the other three. But Madara said nothing, his eyes and thoughts fixed on the spot where Shisui had been hit.

~xxx~

The room was white and the sheets were scratchy, Madara surmised as he sighed softly. It had been a week since the accident and he found himself in Konoha's mental ward at the hospital. No doubt his cousin was still there, too. Not in his end of the hospital but in the ICU. Mikoto came to visit him today, and she didn't look like herself. The matriarch usually smiled brightly at him whenever he was near, but today… Mikoto was reserved and very quite.

"The doctors say he'll wake up soon." She told him, eyes on the floor as her fingers fiddled with the hem of her skirt. Mikoto glanced up at his emotionless face and sighed. He hadn't spoken a word to anyone since the accident, not even to his brother that she knew he treasured dearly. Madara just laid their with an air of impassiveness that chilled her to the bone. Midori, Madara's mother, bawled the last time she was there. The woman had insisted that the man strapped to the bed was not her son and even smacked his across the face.

It was like Madara was dead to the world, just lying there, staring at the ceiling as if it were the only thing in the room worth looking at. Mikoto sighed, standing from her seat next to his bed and ran a slender hand through her hair.

"If you don't want to talk, that's fine. But could you at least look at me?" she asked, annoyed by his behavior, though it was quite understandable. Madara turned his eyes to her. He didn't look at her; Madara glared at her. The silent warning of 'get out' was clear as day in his hard gaze. Mikoto took the hint and left him to wallow in self-disgust, slamming the door behind her as she went. Madara's eyes returned to the ceiling, studying the pattern the drop ceiling panels had to offer for entertainment. He let out an audible sigh and closed his eyes, maybe he'll get some sleep today… that is if the nightmares don't haunt him.

~xxx~

Sakura hurried down the hospital corridor, not wanting to be late for rounds when Mikoto stepped around the corner in front of her. Slowing her pace a little, Sakura took the time to straighten her clothes before addressing her friend's mother. Her face was downcast, eyes on the floor as she hands rubbed together in a nervous fashion.

"Good morning, Mikoto-san." She chimed with a warm smile that vanished when the older woman looked up at her with hard eyes. "What's wrong?"

Mikoto took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down. "It's Madara," she began, fisting her long skirt in her hands. "He's… he's just not himself anymore. I've tried talking to him but all I got in return was the darkest look I've ever seen him dish out." The forty-something year old woman was practically crying as she spoke. Sakura felt awful, seeing such a strong woman crumble like her world just ended. So, she pulled the Uchiha matriarch into a tight hug, offering her support as best as she could.

"I'll give it a try when I'm finished with my rounds." Sakura said with a reassuring smile. Truth be told, Midori had called Sakura at the crack of dawn that morning and told her to do the same thing. Something about making sure it really was Madara in the room and not some imposter. The funny thing is… Sakura didn't really know Madara at all. Hell, she had only met the man once before at some party. He had seemed like a decent guy to her but couldn't base anything off of one meeting. This was going to be a long day.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan. I'm sure Midori will thank you for the help." Mikoto smiled and hugged the girl to her tightly. The happy words bounced off the walls, filling Sakura with a sense of foreboding as the older female let her go and made her marry way back to the main hospital corridors. Sakura watched her leave, viridian eyes narrowed slightly. What had happed to make Madara so angry with the ever-comforting Mikoto? With a sigh to calm her nerves, Sakura headed to start her rounds, obviously late.

~xxx~

It was seven o'clock when Sakura finally enter his room. The curtains were drawn and the lights were off when she stepped into the room. It was unusually cold, even for a hospital, Sakura was pretty sure if the lights were on, she could see her breath. Taking a deep breath, Sakura steeled herself.

"Madara-san?" she whispered while closing the door behind her. Sakura took a step towards the bed, barely able to make out his prone figure strapped to the bed, and stopped. He had turned to look at her, eyes glowing in the sliver of dusky light aimed at his face. But that's not what stopped her, no, it was the emptiness in his gaze that made her pause in mid-step. "Um… hi." She said lamely with a wave of her hand and a smile that didn't meet her eyes. Madara just stared at her, blank eyes seemed to look through her and to the wall behind her. It was frightening.

"Hello." He rasped, having not spoken a word since the accident. A genuine smile broke out across her face as Sakura padded softly to his bedside.

"It's good to see you're awake. The last nurse said that you were sleeping when she came in." Madara closed his eyes at her words, turning his head away as his raven locks fell away from his face. Sakura took careful note of his reaction, noticing the slight grimace on his lips as he sighed heavily. "I take it you didn't sleep a wink?" she asked, sitting down in the chair by the bed.

"Aa." he answered softly. Good thing she knew Uchiha-ese! Sakura nodded mutely while watching the rise and fall of his chest. She studied him for a moment, taking in his matted ebony locks, the dark circles under his eyes and the tightness in his jaw as he lay there with restraints on his wrists and ankles.

"You know, your mother is worried about you." Sakura said with her eyes focused on the bridge of his nose. Madara did not look at her nor did he respond. "She called me at four this morning and asked me to talk to you; she thinks you're an imposter and won't come back until her 'son' returns."

"And what do you think?" he asked bitterly, turning a hard gaze to her. Sakura shrugged nonchalantly but inwardly, she cringed. This was definitely not the sweet and gentle man she met before.

"Honestly, I don't know. No one has told me a damn thing so, I can't begin to make any assumptions on the subject. But, I do know that whatever happened has effected you so much that you would refuse to speak to anyone." She stated, scooting the chair closer to the bed. "Which begs the question: why are you talking to me and not your family?" Madara just stared at her, that damned Uchiha pride taking over, and he turned away from her. Sakura sighed softly, this is what she had anticipated from him. "I'll see you tomorrow then." She breathed and stood from the chair, wooden legs scraping loud against the tiled floors.

She walked away from him.

~xxx~

Was this some sort of terrible family secret that they couldn't tell her? Sakura was really starting to get frustrated with the entire ordeal when she hung up the phone. Mikoto, Sasuke and Midori wouldn't tell her a thing about what happened that night, a week ago. But one thing was for sure; she was going to get to the bottom of this and help Madara. It was the right thing to do and Midori had pleaded with her to help her son. What was she supposed to say to the sobbing mother 'no, I'm sorry. I just cant do that'. That wouldn't make her a very good friend of the family if she had turned Midori down when she was crying and begging for help. With that thought in mind, Sakura picked up the phone and dialed Itachi.

"_Uchiha Itachi speaking_." The voice on the other line said after two rings.

"Hi Itachi-san, it's Sakura." She said with a sigh as she plopped down on her couch.

"_You sound troubled, is something wrong_?" he asked, Sakura could hear him shuffling something around.

"Well, there are a lot of things wrong, Itachi-san and it starts with the fact that your cousins are in the hospital." Sakura growled that last part out as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I was wondering if you could tell me what happened because no one else will." She heard him sigh into the receiver and prayed for the best.

"_Alright, I'll tell you_." He spoke in a whisper that made Sakura wonder even more about the happenings of that night. She heard more shuffling and what sounded like his patio door sliding open and closed. There was a brief pause on the line before Itachi cleared his throat. _"We were heading to the family dinner when Shisui asked Sasuke if he was still a virgin--"_

"Dear god! Are you kidding me?" Sakura interrupted with a scowl as she reached down and untied her shoes.

"_No_." He answered in a serious tone then continued. "_Sasuke answered that he had, in fact, slept with a girl his age. Shisui then questioned him as to who it was._" There was a pause on his end, taking some time to get the facts straight. "_Sasuke told him that you and he had sex_."

"What?!" she screeched into the phone. No doubt, Itachi had pulled the phone away from his ear to keep from going deaf. "Sasuke and I have never, ever, had sex!" Sakura hissed with a disgusted shake. "Yuck… that's like having sex with my bother! Sure I had a crush on him when we were younger but I got over that. We're friends and nothing more."

"_In either case, Shisui got angry and stopped the car. He then asked Sasuke to repeat what he said and when Sasuke gave a smart reply, Shisui got out of the car. He pulled Sasuke out of the car and began to shake and yell at Sasuke. That is when Madara and myself rushed to intervene_." Itachi finished with a scowl. Sakura could tell too, for she heard the slight smack of his lips.

"Then what happened?" she asked, leaning forward in her seat as if to hear him better.

"_Madara managed to pull Sasuke away from Shisui but not before being punched in the jaw_." He said with an uneasy breath. "_After a few choice words, Madara retaliated and pushed Shisui. That's when the car came and--_"

"Stop!" Sakura breathed, fighting back tears. "You don't have to say anymore." It took Sakura a few minutes to collect herself from the sob that threatened to escape her lips. "So this whole thing stemmed from a lie about Sasuke and I having sex?" she managed to say after a minute.

"_It would seem so_." Itachi answered with a growl. He seemed just as pissed as Sakura at the moment.

"Do you want to corner him or should I do it?" she asked as she stood and walked into her kitchen and clicked on the lights.

"We _will talk to him tomorrow and get to the bottom of this_."

"You know what really sucks about this? Madara is the one suffering the most from this. I saw the guilt eating away at him when I spoke to him." Sakura commented as she reached into the freezer and pulled out a tub of ice cream.

"_Did he say anything to you_?" Itachi asked as he lit a cigarette.

"Not very much. He said 'hello', kind of answered one question and then asked me what I thought about the situation. Which, by the way, is pissing me off the more I think about it." Sakura hissed and popped a spoonful of strawberry sherbet into her mouth.

"_May I see him tomorrow_?" Itachi asked, taking another long drag off of his cigarette.

"If you call first thing in the morning, I'm sure they will let you. He's been on suicide watch all week and he's strapped into bed, not something he's happy about. So, if you keep the conversation light, he'll speak to you… I hope." Sakura answered, taking in another spoonful of the sweet treat. "I'll come with you if you want."

"_That is acceptable. I will see you tomorrow_." He nodded into the receiver.

"Good night, Itachi-san. And thank you for telling me."

"_Good night, Sakura-san_."

~xxx~

"Uchiha Sasuke, come here right now!" Sakura commanded the second he stepped into the hospital with Mikoto and Itachi. She grabbed his wrist in a tight grip and tugged him along with her. Itachi instructed his mother to go ahead to Shisui's room while he found out what was going on then followed the pair moving quickly to an empty room.

"What the hell, Sakura? Let me go!" Sasuke hissed as Itachi swooped in, closed the door and drew the blinds.

"You have some explaining to do!" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest as Sakura's viridian eyes board holes into him. "Why the hell did you lie to Shisui and told him that you and I had sex?"

Sasuke stared at her as if she were crazy. "But we did… at Lee's birthday party, in the closet, remember?"

"No, we didn't. I wasn't even there." She hissed. Way to go Sasuke! "I was here, working a ten hour shift. You can ask anyone here."

"How much did you have to drink that night, Sasuke?" Itachi asked from his spot, blocking the door. He, too, crossed his arms over his chest. This did not bode well for the younger Uchiha.

"I had a lot that night, I even spent the night at Naruto's."

"Who else was at that party?" Sakura asked as she shifted her weight from foot to foot.

Sasuke tapped his chin. "Ino, Tenten, Neji, Choji, Shikamaru, Juugo, Karin, Suigetsu, Naruto and some other guys I didn't really know." He answered with a shrug. "You had to have been there; I remember your red shirt and black shorts… and you had your hair pulled back…" he trailed off with a frown.

"Sasuke, I wasn't there." She snapped, trying not to reach across the room and strangle him. "And the only person from that group that's single, besides you, is Karin and she's been hounding after you since… forever."

"What about you? Don't you have a crush on me?" Sasuke asked with a sneer.

"Correction, I did have a crush on you. But that was a long time ago."

"In either case," Itachi cut in smoothly. "You did you have sex with?"

"Well, from what I remember, she was a dead-ringer for Sakura. Red shirt, black shorts and her hair was pulled back… though it was a bit darker than it is now." Sakura gaped at him.

"I don't know whether I should be flattered or insulted!" Sakura cried with her fists clinched at her sides. "How could you confuse Karin for me?!"

"I was drunk, ok?"

A resounding slap echoed in the small room. "You're a real piece of work, you know that, Sasuke?" Sakura seethed as she glared harder. "You are going to apologize to Madara for the trouble you've caused him. And you are going to apologize to Shisui when he wakes up. Do I make myself clear?" she didn't wait for his answer as she left with Itachi.

~xxx~

Madara heard the twist of the door knob but paid no mind to it as he lay in silence on the bed.

"Leave the light off, he likes the dark better." He heard Sakura whisper through the door jam before it opened and she entered with another person. "Good morning Madara-san, I brought a visitor with me." Sakura chirped but he could hear the strain in her voice. Madara turned his empty gaze to the door as it closed softly.

"You look well, Madara-san." Itachi intoned as he stepped towards the bed. Madara inclined his head in acceptance. "The restraints suit you." He joked with a smirk as Madara tugged on them.

"I don't like them." Madara crooned as he tried to sit up. He coughed do to the dryness of is throat from not being used in so long. But Sakura was right there with a glass of water in hand. She helped him drink and stood next to the bed when he was finished.

"You may not like them but I can't remove them just yet. I have to have permission to let you up and about." She replied as she reached down and moved a stray hair from his face. Madara closed his eyes at the contact, leaning slightly into her touch. It was warm and inviting, something he had very little experience with. The action did not go unnoticed by Itachi, even in the dark room.

"I came here to speak with you… about the accident." Itachi intoned in a more serious manner. Madara opened his eyes and looked over at Itachi. They chatted quietly for a good portion of the day with Sakura with them, not minding her presence at all. The Sasuke issue came up almost immediately and was decided that the younger Uchiha would be dealt with once Madara was out and about.

With a heavy sigh, Madara rested his head on the pillows. "It was a stupid mistake, a gut reaction I wish had never happened."

"We all make mistakes Madara. It's realizing them and working to better ourselves that takes time and effort." Sakura chimed in with a warm smile.

"You just want me to see the shrink." Madara said with a scowl. Sakura's smile turned into a grin as she clapped her hands together.

"Of course. How else are you going to get out of here if you don't?"

"Fine, fine… I'll talk to the damn shrink." Madara grumbled as he closed his eyes.

"We will take out leave then." Itachi said as he stood and walked to the door.

"I'll see you first thing tomorrow, Madara-san. Good night." Sakura said as she adjusted his pillows and pulled the blanket over him.

~xxx~

The following week went by in a blur. Itachi visited Madara whenever he could and Sakura was always around to help (of course, being his personal nurse had her in the vicinity). It was strange to see how close they got in just a few days. Hell, Sakura even had Madara smiling every now and then. Of course it was always a short lived smile that would be brilliant one second then fizzle and fade the next. But it was a smile nonetheless!

"Guess what?" Sakura asked as she swooped merrily into his room, his restraints had been removed some time ago. Her smile was so bright and alive that Madara just stared for a moment.

"Hm?" he grunted, tearing his eyes away as he stood from the bed in the hospital issued pants and shirt.

"You get to go outside today!" she exclaimed with a thumbs up and sunny wink. He responded with a smirk and followed her to the door. The hall was bright and warm as he walked along side the pink-haired nurse who tugged on his arm to get him to walk faster. "You only have an hour, might as well make the most of it." Sakura said as she smiled up at him.

"You are awfully chipper about going outside." He commented with a smirk.

"Why aren't you? You have been strapped to a bed for a week and a half… and your not happy to get out there and, I don't know, walk?" he chuckled at her words as they approached the double doors that led to the courtyard. "Also, I'm always so busy I never get the chance to step outside. Can't you be excited just this once?"

"And jump around like a school girl?" he scoffed with a smirk, "I think not." Sakura laughed, pushing the door open. Madara raised an arm and held the door for her. "Ladies first." He said with a charming smile.

'There's the man I met at the Christmas party.' Thought Sakura as she stepped out and waited for him. He took a hesitant step forward and was basked in the golden rays of warm sunlight. Sakura studied him, watching the slow smile form as he lifted his head, with closed eyes, towards the sky and took a deep breath.

"I missed this." He whispered softly, keeping eyes closed and taking another step. Something small and gloriously warm touched his hand. Madara opened his eyes and looked down to see Sakura's small hand lightly holding his as she smiled up at him.

"If you think this is something… you should see the moon." She said and tugged him in the direction of the benches. "Now, don't try to escape… you'll get me in trouble." Madara smirked hauntingly at her.

"We can't have that now can we?" he asked playfully and walked in the opposite direction. Sakura spent that hour watching Madara as he played tag with the children in the yard, some were there for a check up and others were - she hated to think of this - the others were terminally ill. But it warmed her very soul to see them laughing and playing as if nothing were wrong. Then a sudden realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

That man, playing with those children, she loved him.

~xxx~

Shisui woke up to a dark room in the quiet morning hours with dawn slowly creeping in. He groaned softly, his entire body felt numb, save the dull throbbing behind his eyes. Too much sleep he guessed, but where was he? Onyx eyes fluttered to life, unfocused and foggy as Shisui blinked away the sleep from his vision. The ceiling was white and there was an insistent beeping sound coming from somewhere to his left. He tried to raise his left arm but it felt too heavy to move. With another groan, Shisui tried to sit up.

"Uchiha-san, you shouldn't move." A voice said as the light echo of footsteps reached his ears. A pretty blonde nurse placed her hand on his shoulder, keeping him from moving. "You'll hurt yourself if you keep this up." She insisted with a warm smile. Shisui gave up and settled back into the sheets.

"Where… am I?" he asked, voice hoarse from sleep. The blonde laid a comforting hand on hi shoulder and smiled wider.

"Uchiha-san, you're in Konoha General Hospital." She said, giving him a gentle pat.

"Ugh… did someone get the number on that bus that hit me?" he mocked with a roll of his eyes, turning his head to look around.

"Well, maybe not a bus but the guy who hit you with his car was arrested." The nurse giggled a little as she checked his vitals and scribbled something on his chart. "You're lucky, you know? Had the guy been going any faster… you wouldn't be here. I can't begin to imagine how Madara-san would have taken it if that happened."

"How long until visiting hours? Has he been in to see me?" Shisui asked, trying to sit up again but the nurse kept him from moving more than a few inches. The nurse paused in her work, giving him a stricken look before turning her gaze to the ground. "What's wrong? What happened to him?" he asked, flailing around on the bed as he tried to escape her grasp.

"If you calm down I'll tell you!" she hissed, grabbing a hold of his shoulders and pushing him back in bed. With a grunt, Shisui plopped back and crossed his arms over his chest, one of which was wrapped in a thick, neon yellow cast; his favorite color.

"I'm listening." He pouted as his narrowed eyes gazed upon her.

"From what I understand… Madara-san was so distraught when you were hit that he shut down, mentally." She sighed and rubbed her forehead with thumb, index and ring fingers. "Billboard Brow has been working with him for the last week or two."

"Ino," Shisui sighed, "don't call her that. You know how much she hates it."

"Anyway," she glared at him with her cheeks puffed in irritation. "He's been getting better. Yesterday afternoon he was outside playing tag with some of the kids."

"You're kidding?" he asked with an incredulous sneer. "That doesn't sound like my cousin at all. He hates kids."

"We all saw him. You can ask Itachi-san when he gets here." Ino snapped while shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Visiting hours start in twenty minutes… I'll see if we can get permission for him to come see you. **Ok**?" the question was a forced jut of her head as her hands flew to her hips.

"Ok! Gee, no need to bite my head off." He shook his head and rolled his eyes just the way he used to before the accident.

She smirked at him. "You certainly sound like yourself." He gave a saucy wink coupled with a fox-like grin.

"Come over here and I'll show you just how _healthy_ I am, nurse." Ino was flabbergasted.

"You… _pervert_!!" with that, Ino made a b-line for the door.

~xxx~

"Keep the gifts coming, seriously." Shisui grinned as his mother showered him with sloppy, wet and tear mixed kisses and hugs. "Mom… you can stop at any time now, you're going to drown me."

"Well, forgive me for being worried." The raven-haired woman snapped before giving him another tight hug. "And you weren't complaining a second ago, dear." Chuckles filled the room as visitors jam-packed the small space. Filled wall to wall with people, the hospital room was more than just cramped… it was filled to the brim.

"You guys do know there's a limit to how many people can be in a room at the same time, right? Or are we going for a new world record?" Sakura asked as she poked her head into the room.

"SAKURA-CHAN!!" Shisui hollered and threw his arms up into the air. She could just barely see the bright yellow cast in the sea of bodies.

"Hi Shisui! I'd hug you but I don't think I'll be able to squeeze through to get to you." She called with a smile.

"Sakura's right, we should clear out and give Shisui some breathing room." Mikoto suggested as she caught sight of Madara hovering behind the pink-haired nurse. A soft smile graced her lips as she made eye contact with Madara, who seemed a bit out of place. It warmed her soul to know he was doing better, especially after the horrible accident.

"Come on guys, this is seriously a fire hazard." Sakura said as she stood back and opened the door wider so they could file out. One by one, friends and family walked out, nodding to her and Madara as they passed. "Sasuke, you and Itachi need to stay. Madara's psychiatrist said that the four of you need to talk this through." She commanded, tugging Madara into the room before closing it behind her.

"Shouldn't you be outside with the others?" Sasuke asked as he leaned against the wall. Sakura shook her head and pointed to Madara.

"I'm involved in this in more ways than one."

"_Okaayy_… so, how does this go? I mean, who goes first?" Shisui asked as he sat up a little straighter in bed, one cast covered leg propped up on pillows.

"I made a mistake." Madara admitted quietly as he sat down in the chair by the bed. "I… I shouldn't have pushed you. It was… a gut reaction and I'm sorry." He sighed with a slight shudder of breath. "I will apologize to your mother before I return to my room."

"Well, listen to you. Mister I-apologize-for-nothing just said he was sorry." Shisui snickered with a big shit-eating-grin. Madara glared, clearly not amused. "Look, I don't blame you. I would have pushed back, too."

"Since we're apologizing," Sasuke cut in with a sigh. "I was mistaken. I didn't sleep with Sakura. I was drunk at Lee's party and I had sex with Karin--"

"_Dude_, how could you mistake that _cow_ for Sakura?" Shisui snapped with a glare.

"I asked him the same question." Sakura sighed as she rubbed her temples.

"My cheek still hurts from that slap." Growled Sasuke with a glare.

"Back to the point at hand." Itachi intervened as he help up a hand to stop a potential argument. "And that point is; this entire situation was a huge misunderstanding."

"Agreed." Madara said as he sat back and breathed a sigh of relief. It was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he could finally breath again.

"I can't help but feel somewhat responsible for this mess." All eyes turned to Sakura as she rubbed unshed tears from her eyes. "I spent a lot of time thinking about it and… if I had just said something from the beginning, none of this would have happened." She sniffled and hiccupped as the tears spilled over her cheeks.

"Don't cry Sakura, you are not at fault." Itachi said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

**"But I am!" **she cried with clinched fists. "I'm sorry… but I have to say this." The men in the room gave her their full attention. "Shisui, I've known you about as long as I've known Sasuke and Itachi and I've always considered you my dear friend." She breathed, trying to hold back her tears. Not working at the moment, dear. "But that's all we are - we're just friends. I don't think we could be anything else.

"Sasuke, we've known each other since _kindergarten_ and that crush I had on you was nothing more than just a crush. You're like my brother now… and to even think of you in _that_ way is just _weird_." Sakura paused and took a deep breath before turning to Itachi. "Well, there isn't much I can say to you except, thank you. You've been a big help to me for as long as I've known you."

"It is not a problem Sakura." Itachi said, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. Sakura turned her attention to Madara next.

"Madara, I'm so sorry you got mixed up in this and in such an awful way. I know we don't know each other all that well but I'd like to… get to know you." A blush spread across her cheeks as she spoke. Shisui snickered at Madara's dumbstruck face as the man stood from the chair.

"Are you saying you…" Madara trailed off as Sakura nodded.

"Very much so. Helping you these last few weeks has made me realize that there's more to you than meets the eye."

"_Yeah_," Shisui snorted with a grin. "Like the fact that you play with children. I hope you kept you hands to yourself."

"Can it, baka." Madara hissed.

"Shisui, shut up. I'm trying to confess my feelings here!" Sakura shouted.

"Sorry… don't bite my head off."

"As I was saying," she growled. "When you get out of here, I'd like to see how things go between us…" Sakura trailed off as her blush grew brighter and she closed her eyes.

"It's a date." Madara said with a smirk. Sakura smiled in return, leaning against Itachi for support for she had lost the ability to stand when he answered her. He was released a month later but continued to see a shrink for three more years, until he was back to normal.

~xxx~

"… Your mother and I married a year later." Madara told Mamoru as the boy looked upon his father with a sense of awe. Of course, some things were amended to make it more… kid friendly.

"That was _totally_ better than Obasan's story." Said the five year old with a smile. Mamoru yawned suddenly, cupping his mouth with both hands before leaning his head against Madara's chest.

"I think it's someone's bedtime." Sakura commented with a Cheshire grin. Her son was the most adorable thing she had ever laid her eyes on, especially when he laid on his father like he was now.

"Your mother's right, squirt." Madara said as he stood. Mamoru grumbled, he disliked the nickname. Father and son disappeared as Sakura cleaned up. Moments later, as Sakura was putting the clean dished in the drying rack, strong arms wrapped around her waist causing the nurse to jump a little.

"You scared me, Mada-kun!" she squeaked and tilted her head back and up to look at him. Sakura was greeted with that tiny, real smile he reserved just for her and their son.

"Sorry, love." He purred as he leaned down to kiss her gently. When they separated, Sakura was smiling sweetly at him with half lidded eyes. "How was your day?"

Sakura leaned against him with a small sigh. "Long but bearable." She answered and opened her eyes to his loving face. "How was yours?"

"Let's see… I hit Shisui for being rude, mother called and invited us over for dinner, Itachi has the company working hard on the Kirigakure case - lots of money for us, might I add - and the guys keep begging me to got out for drinks with them. All in all, the usual." He supplied with a thoughtful look.

"I heard you favorite song on my way home today." Sakura offered with a smirk. Madara raised a brow.

"The nurse who loved me?" he asked as she turned in his arms.

"Mmhm… but I think the name should be changed." He gave her the signature Uchiha smirk and prompted her to continue. "From now on it's 'The Nurse Who _Loves_ Me.'"

"I couldn't agree more." With that, their lips met once again.

(A/N: Dear Kami… this is so freaking long!! I hope you like it and please tell me what you think.)


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